Nature reserve

An area set aside to conserve aspects of the natural landscape,
plant or animals. Such a place is subject to a
management plan
so that particular types of
habitat
are conserved, rather than
simply being left to run wild. Ownership and/or management of
a reserve may lie with the central government (through the
Nature Conservancy Council,
which establishes 'national nature reserves'),
a local authority (which establishes 'local nature reserves'),
or a range of public or private bodies, notably the
Naturalists' Trust
movement, the
National Trust
and the
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.
Public access to such reserves varies from
unrestricted to non-existent, depending on their vulnerability
to disturbance and the policy of their owners.